


Three Girls and a Boy

by PrincessAmonRae



Series: Fraser Family 'Verse [1]
Category: due South
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Post-Canon, all the ocs are adopted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-23 10:30:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23010085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAmonRae/pseuds/PrincessAmonRae
Summary: Benny loves stories, can’t get enough of them, has heard every fairy tale or myth available in the library three times over, soaked up all the Inuit stories that Fraser has been gifted until he knows them almost better than Fraser does.But the stories that Benny loves best are real ones so it isn’t much of a surprise when he sidles up to Ray one evening.“Daddy how did we become a family?” Benny asks with the look on his face that he gets when he’s fishing for a story. The girls’ perk up as well at Benny’s question.“Moose dropped you off on the front porch and told us we needed some hoodlums in our life, but the stork didn’t want to brave the weather,” Ray says without looking up from his paper. The kids all groan laughingly before they turn to Fraser as soon as he enters the living room.“Dad,” the four kids chorus in sync with each other and Fraser looks at them wide eyed, like he’s terrified he’s going to get ganged up on.“Yes?”“How did we become a family?” Benny repeats.
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Series: Fraser Family 'Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653676
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	1. Lizzie and Benny

_2003_

Benny loves stories, can’t get enough of them, has heard every fairy tale or myth available in the library three times over, soaked up all the Inuit stories that Fraser has been gifted until he knows them almost better than Fraser does. 

But the stories that Benny loves best are real ones so it isn’t much of a surprise when he sidles up to Ray during what Fraser calls their ‘Family Quiet Time’ where the entire family just sits in the living room together after everyone has brushed their teeth and put their pajamas on. No one really knows how this tradition started, but it’s stuck around because everyone seems to enjoy it. 

“Daddy how did we become a family?” Benny asks with the look on his face that he gets when he’s fishing for a story. The girls’ perk up as well at Benny’s question. 

“Moose dropped you off on the front porch and told us we needed some hoodlums in our life, but the stork didn’t want to brave the weather,” Ray says without looking up from his paper. The kids all groan laughingly before they turn to Fraser as soon as he enters the living room. 

“Dad,” the four kids chorus in sync with each other and Fraser looks at them wide eyed, like he’s terrified he’s going to get ganged up on. 

“Yes?” 

“How did we become a family?” Benny repeats and Ray finally looks up from his paper. 

“I just told you a moose brought you on behalf of the stork,” Ray says with faux hurt in his voice. 

“But that is silly Daddy. I want the real answer,” Benny says firmly before planting himself in Fraser’s lap. 

“Well I suppose we should start with how Lizzie and Benny got here since they got here first,” Fraser says as Benny properly settles himself, Lizzie and Chelsea each curl around one of Fraser’s knees and Cass sets down her book while reaching down to pet Diefenbaker idly while wiggling her toes underneath Fraser’s thigh. 

* * *

_2000_

“I cold,” Benny Kocot said to Elizabeth. 

“I know Benny. Go put your coat on,” Elizabeth said as she looked at the empty wood pile. Her Mommy was supposed to be back by now, and she wasn’t allowed to use the axe or log splitter until she was bigger. Benny toddled back over to her. 

“Help Peas,” he said and held out the zipper to her. She did it up carefully before she walked over to the phone. Mommy had said that if there was trouble while she was gone that Elizabeth should call Constable Fraser. But Mommy hadn’t said what to do if the phone didn’t work and Elizabeth knew that cold was bad. Benny would freeze soon so she decided to be brave. 

“Benny do you wanna go for a walk?” She asked as she started filling up hot water bottles. Benny thought about it for a few seconds before he nodded. 

“Where?” 

“We’re gonna get help,” she said, and Benny nodded solemnly. Elizabeth dressed them both in their warmest winter gear and put Benny in the calf sled with a layer of hot water bottles and blankets over him. 

“Where help?” Benny asked. 

“Constable Fraser’s. His house isn’t too far in the summer and he’s very nice.” And with that she started walking to Constable Fraser’s 

* * *

_2000_

“Dief you absolutely do not need supervision to pee,” Ray said as Dief nudged the backs of his knees towards the door while whined at him. “Yeah I know it’s cold that’s why I don’t want to go out.” 

“Maybe he just wants quality time with you,” Fraser said with a teasing glitter in his eyes. Ray shot him a glare. 

“He can spend quality time where it’s warm,” Ray said even as he slipped on his coat and pulled on his boots and hat. He threw the door open and Dief shot out between his legs and Ray tossed Fraser a faux imbittered look as he walks out. He took a long deep breath of painful cold before he finally dragged his gaze up to where Dief should be. 

Dief was wrapped around a child who was down on their hands and knees and immediately behind them was a calf sled with a wiggling bundle on it. 

“ _Fraser! _” Ray shouted as he bolted for the sled because both the kids need to get inside, but he couldn’t carry both. He shifted some of the blankets and uncovered little Benjamin Kocot, blinking blearily like he’s just woken up from a nap. Fraser appeared at the door, white faced with worry, took in the scene in half an instant and met Ray and Benjamin next to Dief. Elizabeth Kocot looked up at them panting, looking frozen and half dead from exhaustion.__

__“Hello Constable. We need help,” she said, and Fraser scooped her up in his arms without a word, moving towards the cabin with great haste. Ray spared a moment to look at Dief._ _

__“You’re forgiven.” Dief huffed at him and Ray ran after Fraser into the cabin and shut the door behind him._ _

__“There was no more wood, and I’m not allowed to use the axe and the log splitter. Mommy said to call you for help if we needed, but the phone didn’t work.” As soon as the door shut Ray could hear Elizabeth’s explanation to Fraser as he started peeling her out of her layers and he had that worried crease between his eyebrows, though mostly he was just nodding along to her story. “And then I was worried that Benny would freeze so I thought we could come get help. It’s not far in the summer.”_ _

__“You were very brave,” Fraser said and looked up at Ray who nodded and laid once again sleeping Benjamin on the couch, proceeding to peel him out of his clothes. “I need to go, so Ray is going to take care of you alright Elizabeth?”_ _

__“Okay Constable.” She nodded tiredly and Ray picked her up to settle her in his lap in the rocking chair that’s close to the fire. Ray looked up at Fraser._ _

__“You be careful Frase.” Fraser nodded at him as he properly bundled up and headed out the door._ _

__Hours later Fraser returned to a pair of sleeping children, bearing the terrible news that Claire Kocot had hit a patch of black ice on her way home from a quick round trip to and from work to pick up her T4 and died in the resulting wreck with the local social worker on his heels._ _

__“Well they’re going to stay here,” Ray said matter of factly to Taylor Blackdie. The kids are asleep in the bedroom, and Fraser is making up the pull-out couch._ _

__“I’m sorry?” Taylor said with a great deal of shock in her tone. Fraser didn’t say anything, but his expression echoed her statement. Ray shrugged casually._ _

__“We all know that Claire Kocot didn’t have any other family. We also all know that means that those kids are going to end up in the system and probably get split up and never see each other again,” Ray said as he leaned on the table and jerked his thumb to the bedroom door. “And since six-year-old Elizabeth just pulled her three-year-old brother almost a kilometer on a sled to make sure he didn’t freeze I’m positive that would kill them both.”_ _

__“Mr. Kowalski that’s all well and good, but that isn’t really a reason to have these children stay full time here,” Taylor tried next and Ray laughed humourlessly._ _

__“You really think that you’re going to find a better place to put these kids than here?” Ray asked and waved his arms around._ _

__“After all, it would keep them in the community they have been previously raised in, the same school for Elizabeth, the same friends. And it’s clear they already trust us,” Fraser said as he steps up beside Ray. Taylor Blackdie looked between the two of them and sighed deeply._ _

__“I hope you know what you’re getting into,” she said._ _

__“We do,” they both said in unison. After they showed Taylor out Fraser turned to look at Ray._ _

__“Do we know what we’re doing?” Ray walked up to Fraser at his question and held his hands between his._ _

__“We know the good sense in having them stay here, we both know that we’ve been talking about kids.” Ray paused and took a deep breath. “Lizzie trusted us enough to walk all the way here to get help. Thank God we were here.”_ _

__“I agree, but don’t you think this seems a little rushed?” Fraser asked before frowning at him. “Lizzie?”_ _

__“Apparently she doesn’t like Elizabeth even though that’s what her mom called her,” Ray said and Fraser ‘Ah’ed._ _

__“We’ll have to expand the house,” Fraser said a few moments later and Ray grinned at him._ _

__“I’m sure we can manage something.”_ _

* * *

_2003_

__“Wow Lizzie! You must be super strong,” Benny says and flexes his arms pointedly to test his own muscles. Ray laughs as he picks up Benny from Fraser’s laugh and gives him a small toss. Lizzie has her face pressed into Fraser’s thigh, though Ray can’t tell if it’s from embarrassment or something else._ _

__“What squirt you hoping those genetics kick in for you?” Ray teases and Benny nods which makes Cass and Chelsea laugh. “Yeah well bedtime will help with that.”_ _

__“Aw Daddy,” Benny protests. “I want to hear the rest of the story! What about Cass and Chelsea?”_ _

__“Tomorrow,” Fraser promises as he skates a hand over Lizzie’s head and gives Cass and Chelsea a pointed look. Cass smiles knowingly and drags her sister out of the room with a wink._ _

__“I don’t really remember it,” Lizzie says, and Fraser reaches down to pull her into his lap._ _

__“My brave, beautiful, wonderful girl. I am glad to hear that,” he says and drops uncountable kisses to the top of her head. Lizzie sits back from his hug slightly._ _

__“You are?” Lizzie asks and Fraser nods as he reaches up to thumb away a few tears._ _

__“In a perfect world I would want you to remember how brave you were, but not the fear that must have driven you to make that decision,” he says. Lizzie smiles and leans into him again. He rocks her in his arms gently, simply savouring the moment. It had been three years since the day that the Kocot’s had come into their lives, and Lizzie seemed to grow faster and quicker every day now that her age had crossed the double digits._ _

__“Dad?” He hums in response to her question. “Is ten too old to get tucked in?”_ _

__“No, I don’t think so,” he said with a smile and stood up with her cradled in his arms and carried her up the stairs to the loft that is shared by all the girls and places her in her bed. He holds the blankets back while Lizzie wiggles under them and then smooths her black hair off of her forehead before leaning over to kiss her temple._ _

__“I love you Dad,” Lizzie says and Fraser’s heart swells again even though he’s heard the sentiment many times._ _

__“I love you too. My brave, beautiful, wonderful girl.” Ray darts up beside him quickly and plants a kiss next to Fraser’s hand._ _

__“I double whatever your Dad just said,” Ray says which makes Lizzie giggle as he flops down on top of the covers next to her. “My turn for some snuggles.”_ _

__“Ten isn’t too old for snuggles?” Lizzie asks even as she wiggles herself closer to Ray with her eyes closed._ _

__“Never too old,” Ray says, and Fraser smiles softly at them both before heading downstairs to give Benny some snuggles of his own._ _

__After all, it wasn’t just Lizzie who grew up more every day._ _


	2. Cass

“Chelsea’s turn!” Benny cries cheerfully the next night while tugging on Fraser’s arm to pull him towards the couch. Cass laughs. 

“Are we going age wise or chronologically? Because I was here first,” Cass says before turning to Chelsea. “Sorry Chels, but it’s true.” 

“I guess that means it’s up to Dad,” Chelsea says as Benny succeeds in pushing Fraser onto the couch. Fraser laughs and settles himself directly in the middle of the couch and Benny plants himself directly in Fraser’s lap again. 

“Excuse you Benny, but you’re taking more than your fair share of Dad,” Cass says as she tickles Benny. Fraser laughs again and scoops Benny off his knee to sitting plastered against his right thigh with one arm. 

“Your Dad would say that’s ‘Not buddies Benny’,” Fraser chastises teasingly while Cass curls up under his left arm and Chelsea and Lizzie both return to their positions from last night with a chin on each of Fraser’s knees. Dief plants himself between the two girls on the floor and Ray waits a few moments before he surreptitiously snaps a quick photo of his family. 

“I’m starting to feel a little left out over here,” Ray says before he overdramatically stretches out across the second couch. “Oh, I take it all back.” 

“Next time you tell the story Dad and we’ll cuddle you,” Chels says with a grin and Lizzie nods. 

“Excuse you it’s story time,” Benny says before turning his face toward Fraser. 

“Well I believe Benny’s request was the story of how we became a family, so chronologically would be most wise,” Fraser says and Cass grins. 

“That means it’s my turn.” 

* * *

_2001_

Cass tried calling her Dad’s satellite phone number again and bit her lip harshly when the line went dead before it could really ring properly. She took a deep breath and went to her room to start throwing stuff in her backpack; important things like clothes, hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste, but also some unimportant things like her old teddy bear, her favourite two books and the picture of her Mom, Dad and her when she was just a baby. 

Once Cass was done, she walked back over to the phone and dialed the number for the RCMP detachment and mentally rehearsed what she was going to say. 

“Hello this is Constable Benton Fraser how may I help you?” 

“Hi. This is Cassandra Jaeb and I need to file a missing person’s report,” Cass said softly and tried to pretend that she wasn’t about to cry. 

“Miss Jaeb may I ask where you are?” Constable Fraser asked. She sniffled slightly. 

“I’m at home, and my Dad hasn’t come home.” She sniffled harder again and clenched the phone before telling Constable Fraser her address. 

“I’ll be right there. Don’t leave the residence.” Cass hung up the phone and set her bag by the door and sat on the couch, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them tightly. She sat that way until Constable Fraser arrived and knocked politely on the door. 

“Hello Miss Jaeb,” he said as she opened the door all the way and he stepped in. 

“Hello Constable Fraser.” 

“Miss Jaeb when did your father leave?” He asked as he pulled a notebook out of his front pocket. 

“Ten days ago,” Cass said, and Constable Fraser’s eyebrow went up. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“He went on a hunting trip and he was supposed to be back two days ago. But I knew I had to wait because in the books you can’t file a missing person’s report for two days,” Cass said. 

“Which books?” He asked and Cass pointed at the stack of mystery books that she’d borrowed from the library. “I see. May I borrow your phone?” 

“Of course, Constable.” She showed him where the phone was, and he thanked her before picking up the receiver and dialing. She stepped away to give him privacy and then started to sniffle harder as soon as her back was turned. 

“Oh Cassandra,” Constable Fraser said softly as his hand came to rest on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and turned to face him. He was kneeling slightly so that they were on equal height with a great deal of softness in his eyes and Cass scrubbed at her cheeks to try and make the tears go away. “It’s alright. I won’t tell anyone you cried.” 

“I prefer Cass,” she whispered before she threw her arms around his neck and started to cry. He simply wrapped his arms around her and made a few soothing noises. He revealed a handkerchief out of his pocket once she had run out of tears and didn’t say a word about her tears even when there was another knock at the door. 

“Constable Fraser do I even want to know?” A woman said as soon as Cass opened the door since it was her house and all. 

“Well Miss Blackdie would you have preferred I wait until tomorrow?” Constable Fraser asked with a gentle hand on Cass’s shoulder. 

“No, I suppose not.” The woman turned to Cass and smiled at her as she held out her hand. “I’m Taylor Blackdie and I’m a social worker. Do you know what that is?” 

“You’re here to place me with a foster family while the RCMP investigate my Dad’s disappearance,” Cass said. 

“Quite right. Do you have any family near here?” Taylor asked and Cass shook her head. 

“It’s just me and Dad. Constable Fraser could I stay with you?” Cass asked as she looked up at him. 

“I’m sure that Ray and the kids wouldn’t mind,” Constable Fraser said and they both turned to look at Taylor at the same time. She looked between them suspiciously. 

“Did you two plan this?” Taylor asked and Constable Fraser laughed. 

“No, but you must admit that this is a convenient solution,” he said. Taylor agreed and let Cass get in the truck with Constable Fraser so that he could drive her to the house. 

“Fraser what the hell?” Ray asked as soon as the Constable opened the door to his house and had ushered Cass in. 

“Cass’ father has gone missing and she’s opted to stay with us for a while until we find him,” Constable Fraser explained, and Ray squatted down and held his hand out to her which she shook carefully. 

“Nice to meet you Cass. I’m Ray. Want some hot chocolate?” Ray asked and Cass nodded. “Frase you wanna move Lizzie into Benny’s bed?” 

“Yes of course,” Constable Fraser took off his coat and moved towards one of the doors off the hallway in the back. Ray winked at Cass from the kitchen. 

“Now I can sneak in marshmallows without having to get a lecture about nutritional value,” Ray said as he poured hot water into a cup and swirled a spoon around before dropping a small handful of mini marshmallows on top. Cass grinned as she took the cup. 

“I won’t tell,” Cass promised, and Ray winked at her again. 

“You’re going to fit in just fine here.” 

* * *

_2001_

“You know Fraser I really wasn’t expecting you to bring home another kid,” Ray said conversationally as they washed up the cups from the hot chocolate. 

“It’s only temporary until we find her father,” Fraser said, and Ray sent him a sideways look as he shifted to lean his hip against the counter by the sink. 

“What are the odds of actually finding him?” Ray asked softly and Fraser sighed while reaching up and rubbing his eyebrow. Ray reached over and squeezed Fraser’s shoulder gently in support. 

“I’d like them to be a lot higher than they are. For Cass’s sake.” 

“Me too Frase.” They both fell quiet for several moments before Fraser spoke again. 

“We should consider expanding the cabin again,” he said slowly and a grin split Ray’s face because he knew a win when he heard one. 

“I got an idea about a loft,” Ray said. “I’ll get the kids to help since they’re the ones who are gonna benefit.” 

* * *

_2001_

“Sorry to interrupt, but something has come up and I need you to pull Cass out of school and meet me at my office.” Ray usually appreciates how Taylor Blackdie doesn’t beat around the bush, but in this case all it succeeded in doing was making him nervous. 

“What’s wrong?” Ray asked even as he stood up from his desk and leaned out his office towards his boss. He waved at him and then gestured to the phone and mouthed ‘Kids. Emergency gotta go’. His boss flashed him a thumbs up and waved him towards the door. 

“It’s a bit complicated to explain over the phone,” Taylor said stiffly. 

“Right yeah be there soon. What’s going on?” 

“Something’s happened. I’m sorry that’s all I can say over the phone.” 

”Can I get Fraser?” Ray blurted out, because this sounded serious and Cass would probably need both of them. More to the point Ray wanted Fraser there because he 

“He’s on the way to my office as we speak.” So, he did as requested, picking Cass up from the school, who appeared in the passenger seat with a worried look on her face. 

“Is it Dad?” She asked softly and Ray winced at his lack of tact before he shook his head. 

“Dad’s fine. He’s meeting us at Taylor’s office. Honestly, kiddo I’m not sure what’s going on,” Ray said, and Cass relaxed marginally. Ray continued to jitter with nerves and Cass’s shoulders were creeping closer towards her ears with every block. Fraser was waiting outside, fidgeting with his hat and Ray’s nerves shot even higher. 

“Dad!” Cass cried as she flew out of the car to crash into Fraser almost the instant Ray put it in park. “Dad said you were fine, but I wanted to make sure.” 

“I’m fine Cass. We should-“ Fraser paused and swallowed before gesturing to the door. “We should go in.” 

“Fraser what is happening?” Ray hissed in his ear because he couldn’t remember the last time that Fraser had looked so tense. Fraser opened his mouth to answer before he jerked to a halt so that he didn’t slam into Cass who had stopped dead inside Taylor’s office. 

“This is Gregory Jaeb. Cass’ uncle,” Taylor said, and Cass looked between the man in question, Taylor and Fraser with wide eyes. 

“I have an uncle?” Cass asked slowly and Gregory nodded. 

“Yes, I’m afraid that I haven’t spoken to your father since long before you were born. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know you existed until I was contacted by the RCMP,” Greg said, and Cass’s eyes slid to Fraser. 

“We put your father’s DNA on file in an attempt to try and find him. Your uncle matched for a familial match.” Ray frowned hard and Fraser must have noticed because he rushed to continue. “No criminal history involved.” 

“But that’s not the best news Cassie!” Greg Jaeb said delightedly and held his arms out to her. Cass backed further into Fraser and Ray’s legs. “You’re going to come live with me in Regina!” 

Shocked silence permeated the room from Fraser, Ray and Cass. The two adults looked at Taylor who nodded with a pinched look on her face, and the silence continued until it started to stretch to the point of awkwardness until Cass broke the growing tension by bursting into tears. 

“I don’t want to go with him! I want to stay with Benny and Lizzie and Chelsea and my other Dads!” Cass sobbed as she spun and wrapped her arms tightly around Fraser’s waist. 

“There’s also the complication that we’re going to fight for her to stay,” Ray said fiercely, because he still had his cop instincts and something about this didn’t feel right, and Greg blinked at him. 

“Why would you do that?” he asked, and Ray punched him solidly in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. 

“Because we love her!” Ray hissed as he shook his fist out. 

“I see,” Greg said from the floor and Taylor had the good sense to gesture at Fraser. 

“Perhaps this meeting was premature. Mr. Jaeb and I will discuss and then I will be in touch with you.” 

“I agree,” Fraser said and then scooped Cass up in on of his arms and used his free hand to drag Ray outside. 

“Shit,” Ray said as soon as they hit the cool outside air and he shook Fraser’s hand off him while leaning against the building. “I shouldn’t have punched him.” 

“Indeed not,” Fraser said as he shifted Cass gently in his arms, who was still crying into his shoulder. He had never been more hesitant to set one of his children down, felt like he needed to soak in as much of her presence as possible. “That being said I stand behind your sentiment.” 

“Dad?” Cass asked and they both looked at her. 

“Yeah kiddo?” Ray asked as he stepped closer to her and rubbed her back. 

“I thought punching people was bad.” 

“It is kiddo. I was just very angry, and I don’t always think the way I’m supposed to when I’m angry.” 

“Like a Momma Bear protecting her cubs,” Cass said with a giggle which made her tears slow considerably. 

“Precisely like that,” Fraser agreed with a smile to Ray who snorted. 

“I can think of worse things I’ve been called.” 

Taylor Blackdie phoned the very next morning to inform them that Greg Jaeb had done a bit of thinking and had signed away his parental rights. Fraser and Ray filed for official adoption an hour later. 

* * *

_2003_

“Cass! I’m so glad you stayed!” Benny cries and throws himself over Fraser’s lap to hug Cass tightly. She hugs him back. 

“Yeah me too most times,” she says with a wink towards Ray who laughs. 

“Bedtime. Go!” Ray says and the three younger kids march off without a word. Ray gets up from his chair and kneels in front of Cass. “You good kiddo?” 

“What would you have done if I’d wanted to go?” She asks and Ray and Fraser share a pained glance before swallowing. 

“We would have let you go,” Fraser says, and Ray nods. 

“Would have killed us, but we would have done it.” Cass ducks her head down and Ray reaches up to move the blonde hair that’s fallen in front of her face. 

“And you really would have fought for me?” 

“Don’t ever doubt it,” Fraser says. 

“Would have done it then, would still do it now,” Ray says. Cass smiles before leaning more into Fraser. 

“Dad?” Fraser hums, because he just instinctually knows which Dad she means. “Is fifteen too old to get tucked in?” 

“No, my dear girl. It is not.” Fraser stands off the couch and swings her up in his arms and moves towards the loft with Ray following close behind. Ray pulls the blankets back on her bed and lets Fraser lower her down gently before pulling the blankets up to her chin. 

“I was going to walk Dad, don’t want you to throw your back out,” Cass whispers teasingly. 

“Getting carried is part of the standard bed tuck procedure,” Fraser says with as much seriousness as he can muster. Ray rolls his eyes fondly. 

“Remind me to tell you about a different ‘standard procedure’ he once pulled,” Ray says before pressing a kiss to Cass’s temple. “Good night, kiddo. Sleep tight and we love you.” 

“Love you my dear girl,” Fraser says with a kiss of his own. Cass snuggles into the bed a little more. 

“Love you too Dads.” She looks up at them before patting the bed next to her and somehow the three of them manage to squish together on her bed


	3. Chelsea

_2003_

“You know Benny I don’t know if you need to be told Chelsea’s story,” Fraser says teasingly the next night while Benny plants his shoulders into Fraser’s knees and pushes with his whole six-year-old body. “After all you were there for pretty much all of it.” 

“Dad it is the principle of it,” Benny says before he rears back and shoulder checks Fraser again who laughs while Ray snorts loudly. 

“Both of the Benny’s in my life throwing out words like principle,” Ray mutters which makes Fraser laugh harder and gets the girls going. 

“Yeah I thought Dad was supposed to be your bit of rough not the other way around,” Chelsea teases. Ray bonks her gently with his newspaper. 

“I’m sorry who left the bustling city of Chicago to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere Canada?” Ray unfurls his newspaper, pretending that he isn’t going to listen to Fraser’s story telling as soon as Benny gets him to the couch. “That’s right it was me. That makes your Dad the bit of rough from now until forever.” 

“You’ve rubbed off on us just as much as Dad has,” Cass says comfortingly and teasingly as she ducks down to hug him. Ray hugs her back like he always does before he waves at her in fake irritation just as Benny succeeds in forcing Fraser on the couch. Cass laughs again before flouncing off to sit next to Fraser. Chelsea surprises Ray as she curls up on the couch next to him, which means he has to give up his cover of his newspaper immediately because having a kid under your arm makes holding a newspaper really hard. He’s not upset though, even if he does turn a question look at her. 

“Don’t want you to feel left out,” Chelsea says as she grins at him. 

“Well at least someone cares about me,” Ray says overdramatically and Lizzie giggles. 

“That’s low Dad,” Lizzie says deadpan, which makes Benny laugh before turning towards Fraser expectantly. 

“Oh yes very well.” Ray snorts lightly at Fraser’s words because Fraser has never said no to telling any of the kids a story at any point before standing up to move Chelsea to the other couch. She flashes him a hurt look as he deposits her where Cass had been last night. 

“Principle of the thing Chels. Gotta snuggle the storyteller,” Ray says as Fraser wraps an arm around her. 

“Ugh fine,” Chelsea says even as she tucks herself against Fraser with a pleased look. 

* * *

_2001_

“Dad do you know the Robertsons?” Cass asked, only tripping slightly on the word ‘Dad’. She’d started calling Fraser and Ray that only a few months into staying with them and it still made Fraser smile to hear it. 

“I know many Robertsons, so I’m afraid that you’re going to need to be more specific,” Fraser said as he paused eating to think about it. 

“Chelsea Robertson. She’s a little younger than I am,” Cass said, and Lizzie looked up at her sister in interest. 

“Oh, I know her. She’s nice, but very quiet.” Lizzie paused and slid a sideways look towards Fraser and Ray. “Some of the teachers say things about her.” 

“What kind of things?” Fraser asked as he and Ray shared a look and a frown. Lizzie shrugged, like she was worried that she was going to get in trouble or something. 

“Things like how she doesn’t have a dad or any grandparents,” Lizzie said while shrinking down in her chair slightly. Unfortunately, that clicked the pieces together for Fraser who sighed deeply. 

“Ah yes. Her mother is Annie Robertson. She had Chelsea when she was very young and many people felt it was very irresponsible of her to keep her baby,” Fraser explained, and Benny frowned. 

“Aren’t Mom’s supposed to keep their babies?” Benny asked. 

“In a perfect world yes. But sometimes Mom’s can’t raise their own babies, so they let other people have them,” Fraser said. Ray nodded and turned to Cass. 

“Why’d you ask?” He asked and Cass shrugged. 

“She just seems like she’s more sad than quiet,” Cass said and pushed some peas around on her plate. “If Lizzie’s heard what some of the teacher’s say then she probably has too.” 

“They shouldn’t be talking about that stuff in the first place,” Ray said fiercely, and Fraser nodded firmly. 

“It’s beyond unprofessional.” Cass and Lizzie looked very intensely down at their plates at Fraser’s words. 

“Sorry Dad,” Lizzie said and they both twisted towards her. 

“For?” 

“Not helping her more,” Lizzie said before she started crying and Ray was out of his seat to wrap his arms around her in comfort as soon as the first tear started rolling down her cheek. 

“Hey kiddo, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Ray said before reaching out to pull Benny into a hug as well, since he has started crying due to the fact that both of his sisters are. Fraser moved to pull Cass into his lap. 

“Nor you Cass,” Fraser said into the top of her head. 

“So, what are we going to do about Chelsea Robertson?” Ray asked while he leaned against the doorframe for the bathroom after they had put the kids to bed. Fraser looked at him with his razor in one hand and raised an eyebrow up at him. 

“I’m not sure what you mean. There isn’t really anything we can do,” Fraser said, and Ray pulled a face. 

“It’s gotta be bad if the girls are noticing and crying about it. Maybe we could reach out to her mom, make sure that she knows they’ve both got friends in their corner,” Ray said. “Do you think that the teachers say things about us to our kids?” 

“God, I hope not,” Fraser said, but the guilty looks on their faces didn’t lend much to that. “And I would hope that if they insist upon gossip that they would have the damn good sense to not do it where there are children nearby.” 

“Maybe you should point your disapproving Canadian face at them,” Ray said with a laugh before sobering. “Christ Frase we gotta try something. I can’t handle seeing the kids cry.” 

“We will.” 

The kids beat them to it though because when Ray rolled up at the school the next afternoon to pick them up Cass and Lizzie ushered a small girl with copper hair into the backseat. Ray passed Benny a look in the rear-view mirror, but Benny simply shrugged against the straps of his car seat. 

“Dad this is Chelsea Robertson, we invited her for supper and we already called her mom and her mom said it would be fine,” Cass said before turning her head towards the girl in question. “Chelsea this is my Dad Ray Kowalski.” 

“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Kowalski,” Chelsea said softly, and Ray twisted around in his seat to grin at her and stick his hand towards her. 

“Nice to meet you. Call me Ray. Fraser’s gonna love how polite you are,” Ray said, and Chelsea smiled as she meekly shook his hand. He twisted back in his seat. “Seatbelts?” 

“Check,” The kids said in unison as they pulled on the seatbelts. Lizzie turned to Chelsea. 

“Dad’s really concerned about seatbelts,” Lizzie stage whispered, and Chelsea laughed while Ray passed his youngest daughter a look over his shoulder. 

“You ask your Dad about seatbelts and see what he says,” Ray said and then fell silent to just listen to all three girls talk to one another since he knew that Benny was going to fall asleep just about as soon as he put the car in drive. 

* * *

_2001_

It wasn’t very long before Chelsea was almost a permanent fixture at the Fraser/Kowalski household, something that Annie loved since Chelsea had never been more social in her whole life. It was especially helpful when Annie received her diagnosis of breast cancer and had to spend a great deal of time in the hospital. 

“I should have known,” Annie said softly one evening in the Fraser’s living room after supper. “My mom had it, so did my grandmother. Predisposed.” 

“That’s no reason to think that the treatments won’t work,” Fraser said with as much positivity as he could muster because he knew that Annie didn’t have any family because her mother had passed due to her own diagnosis shortly before Chelsea had been born. Annie looked down at Chelsea who was sleeping on her lap and ran her hands through her daughter’s hair. 

“Yeah.” 

But as the months continued the treatments didn’t work until it got to the point that Annie was in the hospital permanently on palliative care and Ray and Fraser took turns picking up Chelsea from the hospital at the end of visiting hours. 

“I don’t know what I would have done without you two,” Annie said on one evening when they were both there, as she carefully moved her hands so that Ray could lift a sleeping Chelsea into his arms. Fraser covered her hands with his and squeezed them gently. 

“No sense dwelling on what ifs,” Fraser said, and Annie smiled before she clutched at his hands with a surprising show of strength. 

“I made a will. I asked that Chelsea stay with you. Will you take care of my baby?” She asked fiercely. 

“Annie it would be our genuine pleasure,” Fraser said, and Ray rolled his eyes. 

“For God’s sake Fraser, she knows that Chelsea is a pleasure. She wants to hear that we love her daughter,” Ray said, making Annie laugh weakly before he turned to her. “Which we do.” 

“Thank you, Ray. Thank you both.” 

* * *

_2003_

“I remember the funeral,” Benny says slowly as he crawls over Fraser’s lap to hug Chelsea. “It was cold.” 

“Yes, it was,” Fraser says wetly as he shifts his gaze to the roof to blink away his tears. Cass and Lizzie are both quietly thumbing their own tears away and Ray roughly clears his throat. 

“Bedtime guys.” Benny holds out his arms and Ray lifts him up and rocks him close to his chest as he walks away. Cass and Lizzie each get up and give Chelsea a long hug before heading off themselves. 

“Chelsea are you alright?” Fraser asks and she sniffles into his shoulder, so he wastes no time in pulling her into his lap. 

“I was lonely and sad before I met Lizzie and Cass. And I thought that it would be worse after Mom died. But I’m not sad and I’m not lonely. So, you’ve done a really good job taking care of me Dad.” Fraser cracks at those words and lets a few tears leak out of his eyes into her hair. 

“Oh, my lovely girl, you don’t know what it means to hear you say that,” Fraser says, and Ray re-enters the room slowly and gently takes Chelsea from Fraser for a tight hug. Fraser is struck again by how much Chelsea stands out in their family; Cass has the same blonde as Ray’s experimental hair, Lizzie and Benny have the same dark as Fraser, but Chelsea’s copper tone doesn’t match anyone. At one point it matched her mother’s and grandmother’s, but the comparison is moot here. 

“Your dad worries a lot that you feel on the outside or left out in this family,” Ray whispers to Chelsea while looking at him. 

“Which Dad?” Chelsea asks with a wet laugh. 

“Both,” Ray admits with a sheepish smile and Chelsea laughs again. “Listen kiddo you know it’s okay to miss her right? We both do.” 

“I know.” There was a pause where Ray simply rocks her in his arms like he had with Benny until she speaks again. “Other Dad?” 

“Yes Chelsea?” Fraser asks. 

“Can I get tucked in now?” Chelsea asks and Fraser laughs before he holds his arms out towards Ray who grins and slides Chelsea into them without a word. 

“Not going to ask if you’re too old?” Fraser teases and Chelsea shrugs. Fraser stands and heads up the stairs with Ray behind him on his heels. 

“If Cass isn’t too old than I’m not.” That makes Fraser and Ray both laugh out loud as the settle her on her bed. 

“Of course,” Fraser says as they pull the blankets up to her shoulder and then squeeze themselves onto the bed. 

“Maybe you could tell us the story about how you met each other tomorrow?” Chelsea asks through a yawn. Ray runs his hands through her hair. “Wouldn’t want to leave Dad out.” 

“It’s a bit of a long story,” Fraser says though it doesn’t sound like too terrible an idea. 

“Principle Fraser. Am I part of this family or not?” Ray says which makes Chelsea giggle sleepily.


	4. Fraser's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little bit different than the previous ones, but since this is the Fraser Family Verse we're missing a bit of something ;)

_2004_

“It’s Dad’s birthday in a couple of months,” Cass said and everyone in the room winced slightly. It wasn’t that the birthday was a bad thing it was just that Dad-Ben was impossible to buy or make birthday gifts for. Dad-Ray was easy, he asked for gum every single year and always crowed in authentic delight when he unwrapped the big box of gum packets. 

“Crap,” Chelsea said and pointed at the table where everyone settled down around it. “What are we going to do?” 

“I feel like we do this every year. Why doesn’t it ever get easier?” Lizzie said with a teasing grin and Benny shrugged. 

“We have higher standards now,” Benny said which made Cass laugh. 

“That’s for sure,” she said just as Ray opened the door. The kids all waved at him while Lizzie scribbled down a few ideas that might make okay gifts on a piece of paper. 

“Looks serious. What are you up to?” Ray asked. 

“Trying to plan Dad’s birthday gift,” Chelsea groaned before Cass perked up and turned to Ray. 

“Dad you know Dad better than anyone else. What would be a good gift for him?” Cass asked pleadingly and all the kids turned their best puppy eyes on him. He stared at them for a few moments before a soft smile crept across his face. 

“I’m looking at it.” The kids all frowned at him and he waved a hand at them before sitting down at the table. “Listen somewhere along the way your Dad got it into his head that he wasn’t good enough for this, hadn’t earned it or something. He used to look at me like I was a miracle when we first got together and trying to get him to admit that he wanted kids was like pulling teeth out of a moose. And then we got all of you and he looked at all of you like you were the baby Jesus reincarnate.” 

“Yeah, but it’s not like we can regift ourselves to Dad,” Lizzie said, and Ray smiled as he ran a hand over her head. 

“Lucky for you it’s not a gift that wears off. It’s like me with gum, but about a billion times more than that,” Ray said before he stood up and wander off towards the kitchen to start cooking. Cass bit her lip and reached for the paper. 

“What if we could regift ourselves?” Cass asked slowly as Lizzie handed her the pen as well. Then slowly Cass wrote out _Cassandra Elaine Jaeb Fraser_ onto the paper before turning the paper towards her siblings. “No offense to Dad, but I feel more like a Fraser than a Kowalski.” 

“Would this be a symbolic gift or a legal one?” Chelsea asked as she took the pen and angled the paper so that she could write _Chelsea Ann Robertson Fraser_. 

“We could see how much it would cost to do it legally, pool our money together and make it his birthday and Christmas gift if we wanted. Dad might have to help,” Cass said. Lizzie bit her lip and looked up at Cass. 

“Do I have to keep Kocot? It’s just that—” She paused to fight down an embarrassed blush. “I don’t really remember my mom, not like you guys.” Benny nodded along with her words. 

“No, you don’t. It’s your name.” Cass slid the paper over to Lizzie who nodded and wrote _Elizabeth Shirley Fraser_ and Benny carefully spelled out his full name _Benjamin Andrew Fraser_. 

“They look… good. Like they’re right almost,” Lizzie said after they had all looked at the paper for a few moments. 

“What looks good?” Ray asked and Chelsea hesitantly held the paper out to him. He frowned at the paper in confusion before the realization set in and he looked at them in surprise. 

“We want to make it legal,” Lizzie said after several seconds of silence before Ray set the paper down on the table. 

“It’s not that we don’t love you Dad it’s just that Fraser feels more right and-“ Anything else Cass was going to say was cut off by Ray dragging all of his kids into his arms for a tight hug. 

“How the hell did I manage to raise such amazing kids?” Ray asked as he dropped a kiss to each of their heads. “It’s perfect he’s going to love it. I love it. We can swing by the courthouse on Monday after school and get the paperwork going.” 

* * *

The day arrived with the shrill ringing of Cass’ alarm clock when the sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon. 

“Come on guys I’m positive we can beat him this year,” Cass said as she shook her sisters awake. They’d been trying to beat Fraser to make breakfast on his birthday for years and had as of yet never managed it, but this time they were confident they could since he’d worked an evening shift and gotten home late. And that they were getting up earlier than ever before. 

“I’m on tea and toast with Benny,” Lizzie said, and Chelsea nodded with a yawn as Lizzie wandered over to Benny’s room. 

“I’ve got eggs,” Chelsea said. 

“And I’m on bacon,” The four of them crept slowly into the kitchen and delightedly high fived each other when they found the kitchen, living room and dining room uninhabited. Fraser stumbled out of his room with a look of confusion on his face twenty minutes later, still looking half asleep and Cass grinned widely and danced over to him. 

“Good Morning Dad! Happy Birthday! We finally beat you to breakfast!” She sang before arching up on her toes and kissed his cheek before dancing back to the stove. Benny gently led him by his elbow to the table and set a cup of his favourite tea in front of him and slid a cup of coffee in front of Ray when he slumped to the table. 

“Morning people,” Ray grumbled into his mug, though there wasn’t any malice in the words. Fraser looked between his tea, Ray and the kids plating food in the kitchen with a small lump of love in his throat. 

“What a marvellous gift,” Fraser said, and Chelsea clicked her tongue disapprovingly. 

“This isn’t the gift Dad. This is just breakfast,” Chelsea said. 

“Though we had a really hard time trying to figure out what to give you and so we asked Dad since he knows you best,” Lizzie said. 

“And Dad said that the best gift you’d ever gotten was us,” Cass added. Fraser spared Ray a glance who nodded. 

“But Lizzie said we couldn’t regift ourselves, but then Cass had this great idea,” Benny said, and Fraser frowned slightly. 

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow,” he said as he reached up to rub his eyebrow. The kids grinned widely at him in tandem and Cass walked over to her purse and dug out her brand-new driver’s license and placed it on the table in front of him. He frowned again as he picked it up before the frown slid off his face with shock as he shakily ran his fingers over Cass’s new name on her government ID. 

“Cass-“ He tore his eyes away from the plastic as the love in his throat swelled to unimaginable levels, making the words he wanted to say stick. Chelsea, Lizzie and Benny stepped forward with their own paperwork and as Fraser took in their new names, he hurriedly shoved the papers away from him so that he wouldn’t drip tears on them. 

“I don’t—” He paused and swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say that you love it, or that you love us because we all love our new names so we’re sticking with them,” Cass said as she threw her arms around her dad, who hugged her back tightly before holding his arms out and gesturing for the rest of his children. 

“I love you all so very much. I am so _honoured_ that you love me enough to gift me with this,” Fraser said and tried terribly hard not to cry of happiness into his children’s hair. 

“We love you too Dad,” Benny said, and Ray smiled softly as he got up from his chair to join the hug. 

“This is the greatest gift I have ever been given,” Fraser said as his emotions overwhelmed him and the tears slid down his cheeks, and the kids all cheered.


	5. The Wedding

_2005_

“Dad!” Cass cried as soon as she threw the door open. Ray looked up from the dishes in the sink in concern. “Have you heard the news?!” 

“What news?” Ray asked as Fraser came in from the living room with a look of worry on his face. Cass grinned at them widely as she threw her coat off and Lizzie, Chelsea and Benny poked their heads around the corner of the stairs to the loft. 

“Same sex marriage is legal! Everywhere!” Without hesitation Fraser kept moving, but towards Ray now and slid smoothly to one knee in front of him and grasped his soapy hands. 

“Ray Kowalski, love of my life, father of my children will you marry me?” Fraser asked and Ray looked down at him with a loving smile. 

“Yeah Benton Fraser I’ll marry you,” Ray said, and the kids all cheered in delight as Ray pulled Fraser up to his feet and kissed him deeply. “You know we could have gotten married in Ontario years ago.” 

“But I want to marry you here, at home,” Fraser protested before kissing him again, and Ray laughed before elbowing him teasingly. 

“You were just worried that taking me to an urban environment would make me want to go back to Chicago,” Ray teased. “Or that we’d run into the Ice Queen.” 

“Now Ray Inspector Thatcher is a very capable officer and –“ Fraser cracked at that and leaned in to kiss Ray again. “If you’re miserable here-“ 

“Yeah Frase I’m so miserable here with you that I decided to get a permanent nine to five job, adopt four kids and expand the house three damn times. The utter picture of misery,” Ray said with an eyeroll and a smile. 

“When are you getting married?” Chelsea asked after all the kids shared a look about how disgustingly in love their Dads were. 

“I guess it depends if they want to do a shotgun wedding at the courthouse tomorrow, or wait for Uncle Ray and Aunt Stella and Grandma and Grandpa to be able to come,” Lizzie said and Cass tipped her head to the side. 

“Also, what’s Dad going to wear? I mean Dad’s going to wear the uniform, but Dad doesn’t even have a suit,” Cass said. 

“What about Uncle Buck too?” Benny said and Ray cleared his throat loudly. 

“If you four are finished planning perhaps us adults could discuss?” Ray said and all the kids grinned at him in tandem. Cass swooped in to hug them first. 

“Sorry we’re just excited. Dad’s finally making an honest man out of you,” Cass said as she hugged Ray who rolled his eyes while he embraced her. 

“How do you know that I’m not making an honest man out of Dad?” Ray groused as Cass released him and his arms were filled with Chelsea. 

“Well Dad is a Mountie and Mounties can’t lie. That means he’s the honest one,” Benny said with a teasing glint in his eyes and Fraser laughed. 

“Can’t argue with logic like that now can we Ray?” Fraser said before he sobered slightly. “As much as I would like to marry you tomorrow, I would like Ray Vecchio to be here.” 

“Yeah and my mom would kill me if we got married without her there. Plus, any excuse for them to see these hooligans,” Ray said and jerked a thumb towards his children. 

“I suppose that means we’ll need to postpone and pick a day,” Fraser said with a soft look on his face. 

“Greatness. That means you have time to find me a ring since I don’t see one on this finger,” Ray said and wiggled his hand around. Fraser laughed again deeply before swooping in to kiss his fiancé again while Cass and Chelsea stuck their heads together and teasingly discussed what colours would work best with their Dads’s skin tones. 

* * *

“Benny are you sure about this?” Ray Vecchio asked and Benny frowned at him. 

“Of course, I am. You have to match Dad that’s the whole point,” Benny said as he compared which red flower looked best in Ray’s suit jacket. 

“No not you Benny. I mean your Dad,” Ray said before looking pleadingly at Fraser. “Why’d you have to go and call your kid Benny? Not exactly making this easy on me Benny.” 

“Benny has always been called Benny,” Fraser said, and Benny nodded. 

“It’s my name.” 

“As for your concern about my convictions, of course I’m sure,” Fraser said as he made sure that the serge was lying perfectly. 

“Yeah, but Benny this is a big step.” Fraser quirked an eyebrow up at him and Ray sighed. “Yeah okay so you and Kowalski have made some pretty big steps together already, but… Hell Benny I don’t know what I mean.” 

“I appreciate you speaking to me of your concerns, but I would remind you that we have been living as domestic partners in this country for seven years. If Ray were going to leave me, he would have done it by now.” 

“I’m going to tell Dad that you said that,” Benny said as he finally decided on a flower and looked pointedly at Ray as he slid it into his pocket. “You’re supposed to be happy for him Uncle Ray.” 

“I am Benny. Just feels like I’m officially losing my best friend is all,” Ray said as he ruffled Benny’s hair. 

“That’s silly Uncle Ray. If you lost a best friend because of a wedding than you and Dad already wouldn’t be best friends because you and Aunt Stella are married.” With those words Benny left the room. 

“Jesus Benny that kid is so much like you,” Ray said while still staring at the door. Fraser laughed. 

“So, Ray complains about. Cass is most like him I think, personality wise. Lizzie and Chelsea are somewhere in between.” He can feel the smile that he always gets when he talks about his children spreading across his face. “Cass is quite the bookworm though, Chelsea’s a dancer like Ray. Lizzie and Benny are both turning into capable outdoorsmen.” 

“Alright, alright,” Ray said with a teasing hand wave. “You’ve convinced me. Jeez, Benny I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that.” 

“Yes, well you look happier than I’ve ever seen you as well Ray. Florida suits you well.” If Ray had been here he would have elbowed Fraser for prevaricating, but Fraser didn’t want to spend his wedding day talking about how he hadn’t been happy in Chicago, not really. 

“Thanks Benny.” Ray laughed. “You know usually it’s the best man reassuring the groom not the other way around.” 

“Yes, so I recall from your wedding, but truthfully there isn’t much to reassure me on. I love Ray and he loves me. Now we just have the opportunity to make this legal in every sense of the word,” Fraser said with a fond smile as he tugged on the cuff of the serge. 

“Dad it’s time,” Chelsea said as she stuck her head in the room and grinned at them both. “Dad I think you’re supposed to look nervous not Uncle Ray.” 

“I have to make a speech that’s at least on par with your Dad’s at my wedding,” Ray said, and Chelsea laughed as she hesitantly held her hand out to Fraser. He took her hand with a smile and let her lead him out the back door where he stopped dead at the amount of people mingling in the backyard, it looked like most of the detachment, half the town and even some faces from the 2-7. 

“Surprise,” Chelsea said meekly, and Fraser turned to look at her in question. “We sent out invitations to a couple of places. Don’t worry about food it’s a potluck.” 

“Who’s we?” Fraser asked roughly around the lump of love in his throat. 

“Us kids. Best wedding present we could think of,” Chelsea said as Cass walked up to the front of the crowd and clapped her hands. 

“Okay folks the grooms are ready find your seats!” Chelsea tugged on his hand and led him through the crowd to beside Cass who beamed at them. 

“Dad and Grandma had a disagreement about his hair,” Cass said with a delighted glimmer in her eyes. 

“Pajama’s at my wedding,” Benny said as he appeared at Fraser’s other elbow. “Because all this fancy dress stuff is awful.” 

“You look very dapper Benny. Where’s your father?” 

“Spiking his hair back up I think,” Lizzie said. “Oh yeah there he is.” And sure enough when Fraser turned his head slightly, Ray was settling Barbara in a chair and shoving his hands in his hair in a valiant attempt to unflatten it. Finally, he walked over while muttering under his breath. 

“The hell do I need nice hair for Fraser? It’s not like you haven’t seen my hair when I haven’t had a proper bath or shower in three months,” Ray said, and Fraser laughed deeply. 

“That is disgusting Dad,” Cass said and Chelsea and Lizzie both made faces of disgust while nodding. 

“That is Arctic exploration kiddos,” Ray said with a finger snap as Sergeant Porter stepped up and cleared his throat. Ray hadn’t wanted a priest and Fraser hadn’t wanted a judge, so they had asked Fraser’s boss to officiate. The kids scuttled into position as Ray and Fraser took each other’s hands. 

“We are gathered here today to celebrate a piece of history, or at least that’s what Lieutenant Welsh tells me.” 

“Never thought they’d admit it to each other,” Welsh shouted good naturedly from somewhere in the middle of the crowd and everyone cracked laughing. 

“But I think all gathered here know at this point that this ceremony, this wedding is nothing more than a formality because in practice Benton and Ray have been married for years. I still recall the first time I saw the two of them together and thinking about how I had never seen two people who completed each other so well. Two of the most stubborn bullheaded people I had ever met, and who else could manage to put up with either one of them?” 

“So, for formalities sake, Benton Robert Fraser do you take Stanley Raymond Kowalski to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“I do,” Fraser said without hesitation a half second before all the kids speak in tandem. 

“ _Stanley_?” The kids repeated incredulously. Ray threw them a look over his shoulder. 

“Hey is now the time for this peanut gallery?” He asked and laughter rippled through the crowd again. 

“Dad you are way too cool to be a Stanley,” Chelsea said and the laughter increased. 

“I am taking that as a compliment. Now keep your comments to yourself for the next five minutes or else.” Ray looked back at Fraser who was trying and mostly failing to contain his laughter. 

“And with that, Stanley Raymond Kowalski do you take Benton Robert Fraser to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“I do,” Ray said, and Porter smiled. 

“Then it is my honour to pronounce you husbands. You may kiss your husband.” Fraser swooped in and kissed Ray as deeply as he dared while still being aware of the crowd who was clapping. 

* * *

“Okay so I just wanted to thank everyone for coming,” Cass said after she had climbed up on a table, clinked her spoon against her glass to get everyone’s attention and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “And well I know that Uncle Ray is supposed to have the first speech, but I’m stealing it because they’re my Dads.” 

“Cass please get down from the table,” Fraser said with a laugh even as he frowned worriedly at the legs of the table she was standing on. Ray Vecchio gracefully bowed to her. 

“No can do Dad I have to make sure everyone can hear me and we don’t have a microphone.” Everyone laughed and she sucked in a deep breath. “Okay so this speech is on behalf of all us Fraser kids.” 

“Last year before Dad-Ben’s birthday we were all trying to figure out what to get the Mountie who has everything and hates admitting he wants stuff. So, we asked Dad-Ray and he said that the greatest gift that Dad-Ben had ever gotten was us kids. But I started thinking about it and I realized that Dad-Ray wasn’t exactly right, because Dad-Ben never would have had all of this if not for Dad-Ray, because Sergeant Porter was right, they are both the most stubborn bull headed people ever. Which means that Dad-Ben is really bad at asking for what he wants, but it also means that Dad-Ray won’t let Dad-Ben get away with it.” 

“So yeah I think that Dad-Ray was the best gift that Dad-Ben has ever gotten and I am so happy to be able to say that both of my Dad’s are Fraser’s now, even though not officially because Dad-Ray isn’t changing his name. And I just hope that all the boys who might come my way know that they have a really high bar to cross,” Cass said and lifted her glass to her Dads. Everyone followed suit and once everyone had had a sip Cass looked blushingly at Fraser. “Dad can you help me down please?” 

“That was beautiful Cass,” Fraser said after he had lifted her off the table and wrapped her up in a hug. 

“It was kind of disjointed. I should have gotten Benny to do it,” Cass said, and Fraser kissed her head. 

“It was perfect. You may not have been able to see, but your Dad was crying.” 

“Which Dad?” Cass asked teasingly. 

“Both.” Fraser pressed another kiss to the top of her head. “My dear girl, of course it was both.” 

* * *

They don’t have a specific dance floor exactly, but the Fraser/Kowalski wedding does have a perfectly acceptable mostly flat patch of grass and Ray takes great joy in whirling his new husband around it many times before he finally releases him to the well wishers and dances with his children, his mother, his ex-wife. 

“Never thought we’d be dancing at another wedding hey?” Ray asked as he danced with Stella and she smiled. 

“We danced at my wedding and you said the same thing,” Stella said, and Ray laughed. 

“Yeah well Fraser’s the one with the good memory not me. Listen, Stel, I’m real happy that you’re happy.” 

“And I’m really happy that you’re happy.” And they both know right then and there that they are really, actually finally good. There aren’t anymore wounds left over from the divorce. Ray handed Stella off to her husband and went to find his. 

“You and Stella dance beautifully together,” Fraser said as he wrapped an arm around Ray’s waist while they watched Chelsea teach Benny to dance by balancing him on her toes. 

“Just you wait, that’ll be you and I by the time any of our hoodlums get hitched. Old, grey and dancing like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” Ray said confidently. 

“I suppose I am Ginger Rogers in this scenario?” Fraser said with a teasing lit. “You know I do believe Cass was right.” 

“Huh?” 

“I wouldn’t have this without you,” Fraser said and even though he waved his arm towards everything his gaze was resting on the kids, who were all leaning on each other laughing over their weird dance moves. “I am so deliriously happy Ray and I should thank you every day for it.” 

“I love you too Benton-buddy,” Ray said and reached up to pull Fraser into a deep kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it for the main story of the Fraser Family Verse. Rest assured that there's more to this but it'll be separated from this story just to keep the main story and the "extras" apart. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone for all the support! 
> 
> (The extras are going to start getting posted weekly after this goes up. If you have prompts/scenes/stories you want to see within this verse hit me up!)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the read guys! There's more of this to come and it will be updating weekly so keep your eyes peeled if you enjoyed!


End file.
